Q566 :I am a Christian who practices her religion at
home and maintains good conduct, although I rarely go to church. I
believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ and that he was a true
messenger of God, but I do not believe that he was son of God. I
understand that Muslims too believe in Jesus Christ, but they also
believe that Muhammad was the last messenger of God. I may begin to
share their faith, not for any worldly gains or for the purpose of
marriage, but for my own salvation. Indeed, I have no intention to get
married; I wish to continue to serve my parents, as I am their only
daughter. However, I understand that if I benete a Muslim, I shall be
bound by many “do’s” and “don’ts”. I fear that I may not be able to
fulfil that, and thus netmit more sins, which will run counter to my
whole purpose. I will have to take a new name and I do not know how I
shall react to my new identity at this stage of my life. Above all, I
fear that the effect on my parents may be very negative, as they may be
unable to withstand the tauntings of my relatives or other people in
general. I shall be grateful for your advice as to what my course of
action should be. Can I remain a Muslim at heart, without observing the
ritual prayers or fasting.
A566 : It seems to me that you have not learned
enough about Islam to help you make up your mind whether you wish to
adopt it as your faith. Your approach so far seems to be a rather
emotional one. You see certain areas which are netmon to your own
faith, as distinguished from mainstream Christianity, and the Muslim
faith, particularly as it relates to the position of Prophet Jesus
Christ (peace be on him). However, your desire to be on the correct
lines is genuine. Therefore, it is important for you to learn more
about the Islamic faith before you make up your mind whether you wish
to adopt it or not. I cannot give you in this column more than hints
which you may wish to pursue in order to help you determine your next
step. Before we speak about Jesus Christ and Muhammad (peace be upon
them) as messengers of Allah and prophets, there is a principle of
Islamic faith which must be very clear in our minds. What Islam
requires of its followers is to submit themselves wholly to Allah. That
submission is reflected in our actions, as well as in their beliefs,
thoughts and ideas. Islam is based on the principle of the Oneness of
Allah. That is what you actually say when you make your declaration
which brings you in the fold of Islam. You say: “I bear witness that
there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger.”
The first part of this declaration places the strongest emphasis on the
Oneness of Allah. Godhead means authority. In relation to Allah, that
authority is total, all embracing. In every sphere of life, in every
affair, in every case and situation, Allah’s authority is supreme. He
does not only determine when we are born and the time of our death, but
also decides how we should conduct our lives. He has given us a message
and a netplete way of life for us to implement. What that means is that
He has total authority to legislate to us in all matters and in all
spheres. The prophet conveys to us Allah’s message and we accept it
without hesitation. This acceptance, coupled by the determination to do
what Allah has bidden us, no matter how difficult it may appear at
times or how costly it is, is a manifestation of our submission to
Allah. This is indeed the very meaning of the term “Islam”. In Arabic,
it means “to surrender”. We surrender ourselves to Allah, in the sense
that we determine to do His biddings in all situations and in all
affairs. If we make the declaration that we believe in the Oneness of
Allah, but have no intention of following his orders, our declaration
is without value. Therefore, if one wants to be a Muslim, one should
know what being a Muslim entails. That is the least expected from a
person intelligent enough to decide what faith to follow on the basis
of his or her choice. You seem to be worried about the requirements of
the Islamic faith. What you have to remember is that Islam is a
netplete way of life. It provides us with guidance in every aspect of
life. It does not make a lengthy list of duties and prohibitions just
for the sake of giving orders. Nor is there any arbitrary prohibition
of duty. Everything that Islam requires of its followers to do or to
abstain from has a reason behind it. In their real total sum, Islamic
duties work for the benefit of man and help establish human life on a
very happy basis. If we look carefully at the duties and prohibitions
a Muslim is required to observe, we find that they fall into three main
divisions. Some of them relate to basic beliefs, such as the duty of
worshipping Allah alone, and the prohibition of associating any partner
with Him. We can also include in these the acts of worship; such as
prayers, fasting, etc. These are meant to enhance the good character of
a person. When we think of prayer and how it provides a real and
continuous relationship with Allah, we are bound to recognize that it
sharpens a Muslim’s sense of what is appropriate and what is not. The
Prophet says: “A faith which does not require its followers to pray is
devoid of goodness.” Fasting moulds the character of a Muslim to be
able to with-stand any sacrifice which he may be called upon to render.
Other duties and prohibitions of Islam relate either to moral values or
to day-to-day transactions between people. They ensure that a Muslim
does not take advantage of others or usurp their right or property.
Together, they provide safeguards which ensure that every one of us
receives what is due to him or her. Allah does not benefit by
restricting our movements or our actions. The benefit of Islamic duties
and prohibitions is reaped by us. Allah tells us that if every single
one of us was as pious and God-fearing as the most righteous amongst
us, we will not increase His kingdom in any way, nor will we decrease
it in any way if every single one of us was as wicked and disobedient
as the most evil person that has ever lived. Islamic duties and
prohibitions are not difficult to observe. There is nothing in them
which is included arbitrarily. They all serve a netmon purpose of
making human life easy, happy and fair. No Muslim has ever netplained
that to observe his Islamic duties is difficult. It is true that every
one of us may at times yield to temptations to violate Islamic
teachings, but we can always repent and pray to Allah for forgiveness.
He is the most merciful, the most forgiving. He finds no pleasure in
punishing us for our mistakes. Indeed, he loves that we repent and
declare our regret for having netmitted a sin. When we do that, He
forgives us. When we declare that we believe in Him, we must always try
as hard as we can to observe His teachings. When we make an error, as
we all do, we try to rectify it. Furthermore, we know that our
observance of what He requires of us will ensure for us great reward.
The total sum of that reward is admittance into heaven. Furthermore,
what we are required to do is to try to be as obedient to Allah as we
can. If something is prohibited, we should refrain from doing it. When
we are required to do something, we will do it to the best of our
ability. If we have that approach, we can easily earn Allah’s pleasure.
Many new Muslims prefer to have Islamic names. This is, however, not
always required. The Prophet changed the names of some of his
netpanions, because their names had a bad meaning. The overwhelming
majority retained their names. I do not see any reason for you to
change your name. As for the effect on your parents on your beneting a
Muslim, I feel that you should handle this in a careful way. You may
start by speaking to them about Islam, in order to dispel any lingering
prejudices they may have about it. The problem may be no more than
being not fully aware of what sort of faith Islam is. If you are able
to persuade them that Islam is totally unlike the distorted picture
Western culture paints of it, they may have no objection to your
beneting a Muslim. As for the tauntings of other people, I am afraid
that you may be exaggerating these. Anyway, you should balance the pros
and cons of any major step you wish to take. As far as beneting a
Muslim at heart, without revealing the fact or practicing Islam, I am
afraid this is not acceptable. Many people asked the Prophet to allow
them a relaxation of certain duties, but he told them that that was not
up to him. Islamic duties are imposed by Allah, and He alone can
forgive anyone who is lax in fulfilling them. You may choose not to
publicize the fact that you have benete a Muslim, but you cannot just
overlook your Islamic duties.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )